No not with the BBs, but the team, Why can't they score goals? Shearer can't score if he teammates don't give him the ball. Is it the midfield that is the problem, and if so what do you, who goes? who stays?

Or perhaps it's the formation and the tactics, Any one got any ideas on why Newcastle are goal shy? and more importantly what would you , if you were the manager do about it?

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2000

Answers

Fannying around in the final third, rik. That seems to be the problem to me. I'm sick of hearing about how much possession we have when we can't turn it into chances. I'd rather we played long ball sometimes and at least tested the opposition goalkeeper - Shaka had virtually nowt to do yesterday.

We defend well, pass around the midfield ok but when we get to the edge of the box it all grinds to a halt. I've mentioned the Man U model before (no, not Beckham) - I mean that typical Man U defence splitting pass into the area that gives them so many goals. It seems we try to to that, but with one fatal flaw. We arse around so long around the d that by the time we play that pass it's like trying to thread a needle, too many defenders back. Man U do it fast, five or six passes, ten seconds or less from box to box. We just take too bloody long. If you're going for a slow build-up, then use the wings, get crosses in and cut out defenders. We rarely do that, and when we do there's no-one on the end of them. If we want to play the little passes through the middle, we need players running into space with confidence and less foot-on-the-ball stuff.

-- Anonymous, October 29, 2000

I feel you're very close to the nub of the problem Dan.
Patient build-up requires good wide play and quality crosses from the by-line that even well-organised defences will struggle to deal with: if you expect to play through the middle you either need a Zidane, a Gazza or a Pedro in their prime, or you play it the Manure way - fast & direct.
To be brutally honest, the real virtue of Manure at their best is that they can actually play each of these styles, and mix it up.
Right now, we seem to be caught between all of these ideals and frankly, aren't particularly proficient at any of them.

-- Anonymous, October 29, 2000

You're right Dan/ Alan, we need more players with invention passing and running into the box, trying to beat the offside trap.

Do we have the right players?

do you think Robson has now virtually sorted out the defensive part of the job and having made us hard to score many against will now try to work on the "How to score more goals than them" problem?

-- Anonymous, October 29, 2000

It is almost too obvious for words, but the great sides can attack and defend in the same game, putting greater emphasis on one or the other as circumstances dictate. We almost nevr manage this balance. I think our expectations are helping no one. It's right to expect things from your team but Bobby hit the nail on the head when he said that he had to debut Lua Lua away from home as there was to much expectation at home. The reception he got last week at SJP wasn't just support - it was expectation. Gary Speed also said yesterday that the crowd getting so fidgetty against Everton made them try to force the game. We behave at SJP as though we are just coming off a diet of Championships rather than a diet of lower table crap. IMHO, we have to ask ourlselves why that game at West Ham showed the side playing better than we have played all season at SJP.

-- Anonymous, October 30, 2000